The Werewolf Child
by Oddball5181
Summary: When a newly bitten young werewolf appeals to Remus Lupin, asking for an escape from the clutches of Fenrir Greyback, and a surrogate father, will Remus rise to the challenge? I attempted to fix the format let's see if it works.
1. Chapter 1

Remus Lupin wasn't sure what to think or feel about the sight before him. A faint whisper from some obscure corner of his brain indicated that he should feel afraid, or at the very least, surprised. However, he could muster nothing more than a vague sense of regret that he would be unable to complete the task his now deceased mentor had set out for him. However, as much as it shamed Remus to admit this to himself, this regret was somewhat overshadowed by his immense sense of _relief.  
_

At present, Fenrir Greyback stood in the mouth of the cave where Remus had been residing with several other werewolves for most of the past year. Greyback's amber eyes gleamed with rage. Remus didn't even start when the older werewolf dealt him a harsh blow, and long, clawlike fingernails raked the side of his face, drawing blood. He already knew that he was in trouble.

In all the months that Remus had spent living among the community of werewolves, he had managed to avoid direct contact with Greyback himself. From the beginning, Remus had known full well that if he were to come face to face with his maker, Greyback would immediately see the resemblance to his old rival,John Lupin. He would immediately be recognized as one of the werewolf's wayward "children," a wayward child whose alliance with Albus Dumbledore was known to be longstanding. From the start, Remus Lupin had known that if Greyback tracked him down, he would be able to carry on the ruse no longer.

As Remus Lupin felt his head being slammed into the wall of the cave, as he tasted blood from one of the cuts on his face dripping into his mouth, he knew that his time infliltrating the werewolf community had come to an end. The lecture that followed the beating was wholly unnecessary.

"I've been hearing rumors for months," Greyback growled, his hands still pinning Remus roughly against the wall, "Rumors about a suspiciously _tame, humane _werewolf joining one of my packs _after _the Dark Lord's return, a werewolf who has established a reputation for making subtle little comments about how the Dark Lord is not to be trusted. I thought it sounded like something you'd do, but being a fair man, " Greyback's mouth formed a twisted sneer at these words, "I chose to wait for more evidence. And two and a half weeks ago, just two weeks before this last full moon, I found more evidence. I _saw_ you battling Brutus at Hogwarts, using your _wand_ like some uppity wizard. I'd have had you then, had that infernal Potter boy not gotten in the way.I've been trying to track you down ever since, and now here you are." Greyback sneered again. "Your number is up, Lupin. Show your face round these parts again, and you're dead." With those words, Remus was thrust bodily out of the cave.

Bruised and aching, Remus rose slowly and shakily to his feet. Turning his eyes heavenward, he gazed at the deceptively blue, sunny sky. "I'm sorry Albus," he murmured. "I really tried, but it seems that I've failed you once again." Sighing, Remus lowered his head to stare at the dirt at his feet as he began to trudge away.

Remus's progress was soon impeded by a small hand on his lower back. Startled, he turned.

A small, nervous, boy of about seven stood before him. Remus recognized him as one of Greyback's newest recruits, brought back during the last full moon. A long cut graced the left side of the boy's face.

"Yes?" Remus asked, unable to keep the tremor from his voice. The sight of the child standing in front of him reminded him irresistably of the weeks following his bite. The harrowing nightmares, the despondent looks in his parents' eyes every time they looked upon him...

Remus shook his head vigorously, forcing himself to refocus his attention to the situation at hand and the child who was now talking to him.

"...name is Jeramiah," the boy was saying. "I know you're Remus Lupin. I heard Greyback talking about you.".

Unsure of how to respond to that, Remus nodded.

"So Greyback's making you leave?" Jeramiah asked eagerly.

"That's right," Remus replied quietly. "We-- er-- we don't like each other that much." He had little time to marvel at what an enormous understatement he had made, when the boy, seemingly spontaneously, grabbed his hand and squeezed.

"I don't like Greyback either," Jeramiah's words poured out of him with a breathless urgency. "Let me go with you. Please."

Remus stared intently at the boy and was compelled to swallow a lump in his throat. No child deserved to live the life Greyback would inevitably inflict upon him.

Remus knelt down so that he and Jeramiah were at eye level. "I'm going to do my best to get you away from Greyback." Remus said earnestly. Jeramiah's eyes brightened. "But I don't think that I'm the best person to take you in." He was unable to suppress a wince at the sight of Jeramiah's face, which had fallen in disappointment. "Here's what we'll do," Remus continued. "I'll take you with me for now, and I'll do the best I can to locate your parents, so you can go home."

This statement did not reassure Jeramiah, as Remus had hoped. Instead, the child's face lowered further, and Remus could have sworn he saw the boy's gray eyes blink tears away.

"They won't want me back," Jeramiah whispered. His lower lip trembled. "My parents think all werewolves should found and killed. They won't take me back now."

Remus stared at the boy, an indefinable river of emotions coursing through him. What must this boy feel, having been inflicted with his terrible curse, and on top of that, knowing that he might never be able to come home again?

"You don't know that," Remus finally managed to choke out, fighting to keep his voice level. "My parents didn't care for werewolves either, but they loved me, and after I was bitten, their love for me won out. They continued to care for me. Maybe your parents will as well."

Jeramiah still looked doubtful. As much as it pained Remus to think of it, he knew that Jeramiah might be right and thinking that his parents wouldn't want him because of what he now was. Gazing into Jeramiah's eyes, gloomy and full of wisdom beyond their years, Remus knew that he couldn't abandon this child. He had to do everything in his power to provide Jeramiah with the best life possible.  
"However," Remus added, striving to make his voice sound as encouraging as possible. "If your parents are misguided enough not to want you back, I'll take care of you."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I only own Jeramiah. Everything else is the property of JKR.

Seated at a beaten-up table in the miniscule London flat he was renting, Remus Lupin rested his face wearily in his hands. After asking Jeramiah the names of his parents, Remus had sent them an owl with a lengthy letter informing them of their son's whereabouts, and urging them to take him back. Two weeks had passed, and there had been no response. He strongly suspected that the response he was waiting for would never come.

Jeramiah hadn't seemed particularly distressed at his parent's failure to respond. "I told you they wouldn't want me back," he had informed Remus nonchalantly as they sat for a meager dinner earlier this evening. "But I know it's going to be all right. I have you now, and I like you. You're better at taking care of me than my parents were, anyway."

Remus was somewhat mystified at the boy's apparent lack of distress at having been separated his parents, but said nothing. It was enough of a struggle to arrange his features into a benign and encouraging smile when, in his head, there was screaming.

Jeramiah's parents didn't seem to want him back. That much was clear. Remus also knew that he could never go back on the promise he had made to the child. Jeramiah's care was his responsibility now. To say that he was terrified did not do justice to the violent tornado of emotions whirling within him.

It wasn't that he considered the Jeramiah to be a burden. In the fortnight he had spent with the child, he had found him to be a bright and engaging boy, bursting with curiosity and humor. Remus found himself growing quite fond of him.

It wasn't that he resented the newfound responsibility he had willingly saddled himself with. Remus had taken on far more challenging and cumbersome assignments for the Order. The sense of dread he felt growing within him was primarily rooted in a profound lack he was aware of in _himself. _

Jeramiah seemed to adore Remus and trust him completely. It was this that frightened Remus above all. Remus knew all too well that those who dared let themselves become close to him usually wound up getting hurt or killed. He feared that the child's trust in him was misplaced, and could very well be his undoing. Why should Remus allow anyone to get close to him, to trust him when he couldn't even trust himself?

Remus's ponderings were interrupted by a knock on the door. "Enter," he called wearily. The door opened to reveal Nymphadora Tonks. Her hair was relatively tame that night, wavy strawberry blonde locks cascading down to her shoulders.

Remus rose to greet her and plant a quick, chaste kiss on her lips. "Hello, Nymphadora." he said.

"Don't call me that," Tonks said sullenly, striding over to the table to sit down, and motioning for Remus to join her. "And would it kill you to greet me with a real kiss for once?"

Remus shook his head in amused exasperation. "You do realize that there's a seven year old asleep in the next room? I'm trying to minimize the psychological damage I inflict on the poor child."

"Are you kidding?" Tonks replied in mock incredulity. "Considering the fact that he's already living with you, he's doomed regardless, so you may as well go for broke."

Remus regarded the woman beside him solemnly. "That's really not funny, Tonks."

Seeing the expression on Remus's face, Tonks sobered instantly. "So I take it you still haven't heard anything from Jeramiah's parents?"

Remus shook his head. "Not a word. It's looking like I'm going to have to raise this boy."

"Then why so glum?" Tonks' mouth twitched. "Are you afraid that a child might slow down your thrilling, freewheeling bachelor life?"

"Ha, ha," Remus replied sarcastically. "Seriously, Tonks, this boy needs parents, or at least _a _parent. I just don't think that I have what it takes to fill that role."

Tonks shook her head incredulously. "Remus Lupin, you have got to be kidding me. You're one of the most fatherly men I know."

Remus chuckled, "Tonks, if that's your idea of dirty talk, you really need more practice."

"Is that _your _idea of a pick-up line?" Tonks smirked. "I think _you're _the one who needs practice. Seriously, though, I think you're more fit to raise a seven year old than many of the people out there raising children. Look at Harry's aunt and uncle. Surely, you can do better than _them._"

Remus emitted a brief, bitter laugh. "If that's the best compliment you can come up with, you'll have to excuse me for not feeling particularly reassured by it."

Tonks sighed in exasperation. "I'm just looking at the worst case scenario here. No matter what damage you unintentionally inflict on the boy, it would be nearly impossible to do worse than the Dursleys. Seriously, though, I've heard about your year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts from the kids. It sounds to me like you were an excellent teacher to those children."

Remus was unsure of how to respond to this. He could feel heat rising in his face, and quickly turned away to hide any visible signs of his mild embarrassment from Tonks. The auror's next words made it abundantly clear that he had been unsuccessful.

"You're impossible, Remus, do you realize that? You complain that my previous comment about the Dursley's was insufficiently complimentary, and now that I've paid you a real compliment, you're blushing. There's no pleasing you."

Remus forced himself to turn back and face Tonks. "I'm NOT blushing!" He saw Tonks roll her eyes and realized how ridiculous this defense must have sounded, considering the fact that he could _feel _his face burning. Remus decided that the best course of action at this point would be to change the subject. "Anyway, I don't see what that has to do with what we were talking about."

Tonks rolled her eyes again. "You're intelligent enough to see the connection, but if you're going to insist on playing dumb with me, I'll play along. From what I've heard, from Hermione and Ginny in particular, in addition to teaching these children more than possibly any other teacher they've had, you were also kind, infinitely patient, and boosted the confidence of those students who were having trouble believing in themselves. These are qualities that not only make good teachers but good parents as well."

"Tonks, don't even try to compare those two--" Remus began, but Tonks interrupted.

"I know, I know, teaching and raising a child are two very different things," Tonks waved a hand impatiently. "Teaching is a job that ends at the end of the day, it's a position that can be resigned from if it becomes too troublesome, while parenting is a lifetime commitment. Is that what you were going to say?"

"Pretty much," Remus replied, astounded that the young woman beside him had come to know him so well, even with him making every effort to keep her at a distance. "Can we please talk about something else? I really don't need to be reminded of a time in my life when I had a steady source of income, now that I don't have one, and need one more than ever."

"If you're worried about supporting Jeramiah, I can help you with that." Tonks told Remus firmly.

Remus shook his head. "Tonks, I can't accept your char--," he began, but Tonks interrupted.

"Remus, it's not charity, it's a gift. I have money to spare, and I _want _to do this. I want to help you with this child. If I'm going to be a part of your life--"

This time, it was Remus's turn to interrupt. "You know I love you, Nymphadora, but I'm still not sure how serious we should let this become. If you agree to join me in helping raise this child, that's a big commitment. I've told you before, you shouldn't rush into committing yourself to me."

Tonks's eyes darkened. "Why not? And don't tell me you're too old for me, too poor, too dangerous, blah, blah, blah. I've heard that before, and I've told you before that I _don't care. _Let's not run through that old argument yet again. Also, for the record, I've had plenty of time to think all of this over when you were off risking your neck with the werewolf pack. I'm not _rushing in _to anything, so don't use that as an excuse. You say you love me like you mean it, so as far as I can see, you're out of valid arguments, Lupin. Why are you so afraid to let people in to your life?"

"Can we please leave your highly biased analysis of my alleged emotional difficulties out of this?" Remus demanded, struggling to keep his tone level.

"Oh, of course, because that would force us to acknowledge the fact that you, Remus Lupin, grand master of the stiff upper lip, actually _has _emotions." Tonks retorted. "I love you, but you must be just about the most closed off person I have ever met. Why are you trying to keep me out?"

Tonks's outburst was followed by a lengthy pause, during which Remus became infinitely fascinated by his hands. Meanwhile Tonks sat, sullen and silent, her arms folded across her chest, tapping her left foot impatiently.

"I don't want you to get hurt," Remus admitted at last. "People who dare to let me in to their lives tend to come to tragic ends."

Tonks's features softened slightly. "If this is about what happened with your friends at Hogwarts, we've had this conversation before. You didn't force Wormtail to join You Know Who, that was his decision. And even if they hadn't become animagi to help you, Sirius and James still might have found some other reason to do it, and Wormtail might have still tagged along. Or Wormtail could have found some other way to frame Sirius and fake his own death, or he could have found some other way to mess things up. You certainly can't claim any hand in You Know Who's first rise to power or reign of terror. Even so, you continue to blame yourself." A hint of aggravation began to creep back into her tone. "Remus, we've had this conversation a thousand times before, but it appears that none of it has penetrated that thick, stubborn skull of yours. Once again, I'm forced to repeat those words you're so quick to say to everyone else. _It's not your fault._"

Remus flinched involuntarily as flashes of that awful night in the Hospital Wing came back to haunt him. "That was all my fault." he murmured quietly. "Dumbledore, and... Snape. I was one of his greatest enemies at school. I never told Harry this, figuring he hated the man enough, but Snape tormented me... relentlessly for years. The first time he saw me, on Platform Nine and Three Quarters, he noticed my sickly appearance, my shabby state of dress, and pegged me as someone lower than him in the social pecking order, someone he could compare himself to when he needed a confidence boost. I could see it his eyes then, and every time he looked at me for days after. Then I was welcomed into what became one of the most admired cliques in school while he remained a despised outcast. Snape never got past that, and he took his bitterness out on me. For years, he followed me, almost to the point of stalking, hexing me at every opportunity, muttering threats under his breath. He told me he knew I had some dark secret, and promised me that when he discovered it, he'd make sure it was exposed, and basically make my life a living hell. Dumbledore never knew just how nasty Snape could turn. I suppose I should have told him, but I never did. Somehow, I felt that would be stooping to Snape's level, and I thought that if a great wizard like Dumbledore could give him a chance I should as well." Remus allowed his face to fall forward into his hands. "I should have suspected all along that his remorse wasn't geniune. If only I had told Dumbledore. It might have saved his life." Remus sighed as his own words from that night played in his mind. "Snape was a superb occlumens. I always knew that. I should have known that, with his ability, he could hoodwink anyone, even..." Remus trailed off, too overwhelmed to continue.

Tonk's eyes were wide long before Remus stopped speaking. She sat in silence for several minutes, seeming unable to formulate an appropriate response. When she spoke at last, her voice trembled. "Remus, no matter what you knew about him, you couldn't have seen this coming. You're a fair man. You give people the benefit of the doubt, just like Dumbledore did. That's part of why I love you, because you believe that everyone deserves a chance, and you give everyone a chance. That's one of your best qualities. Sadly, sometimes even actions motivated by your best qualities can come back and bite you on the arse." Tonks managed a wan smile. "Remus, when you blame yourself for all the ills of the world, you're only hurting people more."

Remus stared at Tonks, genuinely bewildered. "What on earth are you talking about, Nymphadora?"

"Think about it." Tonk's response was quiet. "You're so insistent on keeping everyone at a safe distance that you push away people who want you in their lives."

Remus squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "Tonks, I said that I was willing to consider allowing something more to happen between us. I'm giving this a chance."

Tonks was not mollified. "I wasn't talking about myself this time," she replied curtly.

Remus spread his arms in a gesture of incomprehension. "Then who _are _you talking about?"

"Think about it," Tonks repeated. "You'll figure it out. Who needs a strong mentor like yourself, but is too proud to ever admit it?"

Remus didn't respond. He was far too emotionally drained by all they had discussed that evening to even begin to fathom who she could be referring to.

Remus and Tonks continued to talk for a while after that. Half an hour later, Tonks departed with a lengthy embrace and a promise to stop by later in the week. Remus closed the door behind her, and wearily leaned against it, still racking his brain in a desperate attempt to figure out what she might have been talking about earlier.

It wasn't until late the following morning that it dawned on him. Jeramiah was sprawled on the living room floor, absorbed in one of many dog-eared books Remus had saved from his childhood. Remus was seated at same table where his conversation with Tonks had taken place the night before, staring fixedly at a book on fighting the Dark Arts without resorting to harmful spells, without taking in a word on its pages.

At long last, as Jeramiah reached for yet another one of Remus's favorite books from his youth, Remus decisively marked his place in his book, and rose to his feet to find a quill and a roll of parchment. The time had arrived for him to write to someone he should have written to a long time ago.


	3. Chapter 3

Standard Disclaimer: None of this is mine.

A/N: I'm sorry about the long delays between updates. I just finished a particularly hectic semester at school, then came down with a terrible cold. I'll try to be better about updating now that I'm slightly less busy.

Remus set his parchment on the table and dipped his quill into a bottle of ink that had been sitting on the table. For a moment, he leaned back in his chair, struggling to organize his thoughts. What exactly, should he say to the boy? For that matter, what did he have the _right _to say to him? He wasn't a friend, or even a surrogate family member as the Weasleys were and Sirius had been. For all he knew, the young man viewed him as nothing more than his former professor, one he could occasionally come to when he had a question. Writing to him might violate some boundary. Was he being presumptuous, thinking that he could just enter the young man's life, completely uninvited?

Remus shook his head in exasperation at his wild overanalysis of this comparatively minor decision. _Come on now, Remus, _he urged himself. _Rediscover some of that old Gryffindor bravery and _just do it. _You've participated in far riskier missions, with far greater risks. This is a _letter. _The biggest risk here is receiving a Howler in return. For Merlin's sake, stop agonizing, and _just write the letter!

Decisively, Remus, leaned forward, and set quill to parchment.

_Dear Harry,_

_ I hope you don't mind my contacting you. If I'm overstepping any sort of boundary, feel free not to reply. If you don't reply to this letter, I'll not bother you again._

_ I'm sorry I didn't make it at the wedding. J had a cold, and I thought it best to stay with him. I imagine you've heard about J from the Weasleys. I've been quite occupied with the child, but I would be more than happy to come and meet with you if you want to talk. I know that life has been far from kind to you these past few years, and if you ever feel like having another adult to speak to, I'd be more than willing. _

_ I realize how traumatic it must have been to witness what you did with Dumbledore a mere year after losing Sirius. As someone who knew both men quite well, I like to think that I'm someone you can approach if there's anything you want to discuss. If there are any questions haunting you, any questions that you never had the chance to ask them, there's the possibility I might have answers._

_ If you'd like to meet up sometime, perhaps in Diagon Alley, just send me a response saying so, and we'll make arrangements._

_ By the way, in the future, feel free to call me Remus. I haven't been your professor for years, and you're definitely not a child anymore. _

_ Take care, Harry, and I hope that days to come are kinder to you than days past._

_Sincerely,_

_Remus_

Remus read over the letter and sighed. His words sounded awkward, stilted, and overly formal. However, Remus knew that the longer he mulled over the wording of his letter, the more likely he was to lose his nerve. It was now or never.

Remus folded the letter, wrote _Harry Potter _on the front, and rose to his feet.

"Jeramiah," he called. The child looked up from the picture he had begun drawing. "I need to make a trip to the post office. How would you like to come to Diagon Alley with me."

Jeramiah rose eagerly to his feet. "I've never been to Diagon Alley. I've always wanted to go there." His tone darkened. "My parents never brought me. They said they could never trust me to behave myself, so they always kept me at home."

"Did they now?" Remus shook his head uncomprehendingly. To him, Jeramiah seemed a remarkably polite and well behaved child. What behavior of his could they possibly find so objectionable?

"They said that I talked too much, asked too many questions," Jeramiah replied. A shadow passed over his face. They said that children should be seen and not heard."

Remus bristled inwardly. He had always taken care to remain even tempered, and prided himself on the fact that he had himself so well trained in this endeavor that little angered him anymore. However, this attitude toward children, one he had encountered far too often during his years substitute teaching in Muggle schools, never failed to strike a nerve with him. It was a child's nature to be exuberant and bursting with curiosity, and Remus knew that he could never see eye to eye with anyone who deliberately tried to suppress this in a child. He couldn't help but bitterly wonder what else Jeramiah's parents had told him.

Noticing that Jeramiah's gray eyes had clouded over with distinct gloom, Remus felt compelled to say something, "Well, some parents are -- er -- misguided in that way. I, on the other hand, believe that asking questions is the best way to learn new things. Never be afraid to make yourself heard around me, Jeramiah."

Jeramiah stood silently, looking pensive, seeming unsure of how to respond. Remus judged it best to change the subject. "Well, this is a Muggle flat, so we can't floo, so we'll have to take the London Underground. Are you ready to go?"

"I'm ready," Jeramiah replied. Remus gathered some of his meager Muggle money, along with a few knuts for the post office, and the two of them set out.

"Why don't you have an owl of your own?" Jeramiah asked an hour and a half later. The two of them were at the Post Office in Diagon Alley, Jeramiah watching as Remus tied the letter to the leg of a barn owl.

Remus took his time in sending the owl off to find Harry Potter, and watching until it was a mere speck in the sky before turning back to look at Jeramiah's expectant face. Remus dreaded answering these questions. The boy was so young, too young to be burdened with the knowledge of the many roadblocks their kind had to face. He was unsure of how to best respond, but Jeramiah was waiting and something needed to be said.

"Well," he began hesitantly, "Owls cost money, and I---," Remus trailed off.

"Don't have any money because no one will give you a job because you're a werewolf?" Jeramiah finished shrewdly.

Remus struggled to hide his disbelief. During their first meeting, when Remus had presumed the child to be wise beyond his years, he hadn't been wrong.

"Of course I know how it is for werewolves," Jeramiah added, his mild defiance indicating that he wasn't fooled by Remus's weak attempts to hide his shock. "My parents were always going on about how awful werewolves are, and how lucky it is that Umbridge lady made those laws to stop werewolves from getting jobs.

Remus couldn't think of an appropriate response for this, so the two of them continued toward the archway in silence.

After several minutes, Jeramiah spoke. "I can read, you know."

"I know that," Remus replied, bewildered. He had been giving Jeramiah lessons nearly every day since he had taken him in, and had a pretty good idea of what his skills were.

"Then you should know that I was able to read the name you wrote on the letter."

Remus turned to face Jeramiah. The boy had a small smile playing on his lips.

"So, how do you know Harry Potter, then?" Jeramiah asked innocently.

Remus sighed as they passed through the archway back to Muggle London. There was so much to tell, he didn't quite know where to start.

"Well, Jeramiah," he began. "That's a long story..."


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I don't claim ownership over anything from the Harry Potter books, and if I did, I think I'd need my head examined.

Jeramiah was gaping at Remus in disbelief. "You were his _teacher?"_

Remus nodded, smiling at the stunned look on Jeramiah's face. "I taught Defense Against the Dark Arts at Hogwarts for a year. Harry was one of my third years."

"What's he like?" Jeramiah asked eagerly. "Harry Potter, I mean. Is he a very powerful wizard?"

Remus took his time in replying, as he considered how he might best satisfy Jeramiah's curiosity while still respecting Harry's privacy.

"He's a very brave young wizard." Remus spoke slowly, carefully weighing his words. "He's been through some very scary and very difficult times, but he never gives up, and he never runs away when he's afraid. He's very loyal and kind to his closest friends. He enjoys playing Quidditch and swapping Chocolate Frog cards with his friends."

Jeramiah's face broke out into a smile. "I collect Chocolate Frog cards, too. I want to learn how to play Quidditch. I always have, but my parents say I'm not old enough. Maybe Harry Potter can teach me, if you know him. Oh, Remus, can I meet Harry Potter?"

Remus laughed, pleased to see Jeramiah so excited. "Maybe," he replied. "I'll need to ask Harry first. He's a very busy young man. I need to see if he has time for either one of us." Remus paused to listen to the announcement being broadcast over the intercom on the train. "We get off at the next stop." he told Jeramiah.

Two days later, Remus was awakened by the sound of post owls tapping on his bedroom window. Groggily, he cracked one eye open. He'd been having an extremely interesting dream, involving all the chocolate he'd eaten in his lifetime growing, limbs, eyes and mouths, and knocking on his door demanding shelter from the evil coconut monster. A chocolate frog had been on the verge of telling him a story of how he'd escaped a rapid grindylow. Remus had been quite curious as to how that story would unfold. Now, however, the owls had succeeded in tearing Remus from his dream, yet they had so far failed to rouse him from his sleep induced stupor.

Years earlier, during the when the first Order of the Phoenix was active, Alastor Moody had trained his fellow Order members to transition from a state of deep sleep to full alertness in a split second when faced with a crisis situation. Remus had worked hard to master this skill, and it had served him well in past situations, when Death Eaters or Dementors were involved. However, the persistant an irritating tapping of post owls did not produce the necessary surge of adrenaline, without which, Remus woke extremely slowly. Back in his Hogwarts days, Remus had lost count of the times he had been jolted into wakefulness by a deluge of ice cold water, then greeted a grinning Sirius Black unsuccessfully trying to hide an empty bucket behind his back.

_Who would the owls be from? _The thought just barely penetrated the groggy fog filling Remus's mind as he slowly lifted his other eyelid. _The_ Daily Prophet_, naturally, but why does it sound like there's more than one? Could Harry be writing me back?... Harry!_

With that thought, Remus Lupin's brain instantly achieved a state of full alertness. Within seconds, he was stretching weary muscles and trudging over to the window, where two owls waited. One owl bore what was unmistakably the_ Daily Prophet. _The other owl, Remus recognized from Diagon Alley two days earlier.

_Harry's reply!_

Remus considered the small scroll of parchment attached to the second owl's leg. _It bears no resemblance to a Howler. That's a good sign._

Both owls gazed reproachfully at Remus as he relieved them of their burdens. Remus supposed that he had spent too much time mulling over the Chocolate Frog's ordeal with the rapid Grindylow.

Remus paid the first owl, giving an extra knut out of guilt, then threw the_ Daily Prophet _aside. He then brought Harry's reply to the makeshift desk he had created with a stack of old textbooks and a trunk from his Hogwarts days, and carefully opened it.

The handwriting was very similar to how Remus remembered it from his year teaching Defense Against the Dark Arts. The scrawl was slightly tidier and more refined than before, but otherwise, it was exactly the same. Remus felt a slight pang at the realization that it had been more than three years since he had last seen that handwriting, and that was most likely no one's fault other than his own.

Remus shook himself away from downward spiral his thoughts were rapidly leading to. There was nothing to be gained from agonizing over the mistakes of the past. All he could do now was read Harry's note in hopes of finding within it some indication that he had a chance to make amends in the immediate future.

Heart pounding with anticipation, Remus began to read the note he held in his hands.

_Remus (it feels strange calling you that, but I suppose I'll get used to it),_

_I'm at GH right now, with R and H. Perhaps we can meet there on Saturday at around two in the afternoon? You can meet me where L and J live now. I'm sure you've been there before._

_I don't want to say too much here. We'll talk more in person._

_I hope to see you soon._

_Harry_

Remus laughed to himself as he gathered up a quill, parchment and ink. Harry had clearly taken great care to keep his letter as indecipherable as possible in the eyes of any possiple interceptors. It reminded him of another carefully coded letter Sirius had read out loud to him nearly two years earlier.

As Sirius entered into his thoughts, Remus steeled himself for the inevitable wave of grief rising within him. Remus set his jaw as he summoned every ounce of willpower he possessed to push that wave down far below the surface. Wallowing in grief would get him nowhere. It would be far more productive to focus on the living. He could do far more for Jeramiah, Tonks and Harry than he could for Sirius at this point.

_Harry. He's giving me the chance to redeem myself for my previous negligence of him. For both our sakes, I need to take that chance._

Remus dipped his quill into the ink bottle, turned to the parchment he had laid out before him, and penned a brief reply.

_Harry,_

_I'll see you then, at the location you specified. I look forward to it._

_In the meantime, take care of yourself._

_Remus_

Remus sent the owl off with the letter, then allowed his face to sink into his hands. He had reached out to Harry, and the young man had reciprocated. The risk had been taken, and nothing catastrophic had happened -- yet.

It was quite possible that Harry was merely responding out of politeness to protect the feelings of his damaged former professor. It was also possible that Harry genuinely wanted Remus to take an active role in his life. If that was the case, Remus knew that he couldn't back out now. Harry had suffered enough loss already, and he would never intentionally add to that.

_No point in wasting mental energy thinking about that now, _Remus told himself firmly as he stood up and began putting on his dressing gown. He had a child to care for now, and he needed all the energy he could muster for that. All he could do now was wait for Saturday afternoon, and see how events unfolded.


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I own absolutely nothing.

A/N: I may not normally respond, but I honestly appreciate all the reviews I've received. Jeramiah will play an important role in future chapters of this fic. At this point, I'm still laying the groundwork, and establishing the cast of characters who will feature in this story, but there is plenty more Jeramiah to come. Also, I _will_ take care not to let Jeramiah become "Stu-ish." I don't want to read about OC's who are bad fanfiction stereotypes, and the same goes for writing about them. Anyway, on with the story!

"I had the strangest dream last night," Jeramiah told Remus the next morning, as they sat at the table with bowls of porridge and cups of pumpkin juice. "The stars fell down from the sky, and when I came closer to look at them, I saw that they had all grown fangs and they were growling at me. I tried to run, but then more of them --- stars with fangs, I mean, kept showing up in from of me. I kept running, though, and then I crashed right into the moon. Then, right in front of my eyes, the moon grew this big mouth and swallowed me. Then, I was trapped _inside _the moon, and I hurt all over, and all I could see was white." Jeramiah shuddered. "I've never dreamed anything like that before. When I woke up, I was shaking."

Remus sighed. "The full moon is a week away now. I always start having strange dreams around this time, when the transformation is getting close." He himself had been revisited by the rabid grindylow from the previous night. The grindylow had brought out some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans, and had threatened to beat him to death with a giant, manure flavored bean, if he didn't either eat it, or surrender his entire supply of chocolate.

Remus had little time to focus on his own extremely odd dream, however, as Jeramiah's gray eyes had widened with fear at the mention of the impending transformation. The child's voice trembled as he asked the inevitable question, "W-what is it like then? To turn into a werewolf, I mean. Does it hurt?"

Remus hesitated. He had no wish to frighten Jeramiah any further, but it would be irresponsible to lie to him. Deciding the truth was best, Remus gulped, then began to speak. "Yes, Jeramiah, it hurts. It hurts quite a bit."

Jeramiah had paled slightly. "Will you stay with me? When I - when we turn into werewolves, I mean."

Remus sighed again. He had anticipated this question, and dreaded answering it. "No," Remus replied bluntly, avoiding the child's eyes. "That would be very dangerous. You see, when we transform into werewolves, our human minds go to sleep, and the mind of a monster takes over, a monster our sleeping human minds are unable to stop from doing dreadful things." Ignoring Jeramiah's gasp, Remus continued, determined now to finish what he had begun to say. Jeramiah was bound to discover all of this eventually, it was best that he should be prepared. "If we were together, myself a full grown wolf, and you a wolf child transforming for the first time, I could injure you very badly. I would never do that as Remus Lupin, but when I'm under the full moon, I'm not Remus Lupin. I'm a monster, and that's all I am. If I could reach you, I wouldn't be able to stop myself from hurting you. I'm going to make sure we're separated so you can be safe."

Jeramiah's face was now whiter than the full moon itself on the clearest of nights. When he finally found his voice, it trembled more than ever. "Where will I be then? I'll be a monster too, right? I - I don't want to hurt anyone."

"I'll see to it that neither us can hurt anyone." Remus replied, relieved that he could finally provide some of small measure of reassuring news. About half an hour before moonrise, I'll conjure a cage around you, then another, separate cage around myself. The cages will be charmed to be resistant to werewolf assaults." At the look of incomprehension on Jeramiah's face, Remus elaborated. "You see, once we're transformed, we'll most likely try to break out of the cage. This charm will guarantee that we can't break out. I'll make sure neither one of us hurts anyone." These last words were spoken gently. "After the sun comes up, I'll reach through the bars to where I'll have left my wand right outside, vanish my cage, then yours. After this, we'll both lie around all day, drinking tea and recovering from the full moon."

Jeramiah wrinkled his nose, "I don't like tea very much."

Remus smiled, relieved to have moved on to a slightly lighter topic of conversation. "In that case, I shall drink tea, and you shall drink hot cocoa."

In spite of the trepidation still evident in his eyes, Jeramiah managed a faint smile. "I like hot cocoa much better than tea."

Remus gave Jeramiah's shoulder an encouraging pat. "There we go, then! This ... errr ... furry little problem isn't all bad, is it?"

Jeramiah's features had now gone to frightened to amused, and mildly bewildered. "_Furry little problem?"_ Jeramiah repeated incredulously.

Remus chuckled. "A good friend of mine used to call it that. I always liked the term."

Jeramiah smiled. "I like it too. I think I'm going to call it that from now on." His expression abruptly became serious again. "But there's something else I don't like. I don't like that my mind is going to go to sleep, and a monster is going to be in my head. That scares me. Is there anything to put the monster to sleep, and keep my mind awake?"

Remus sighed yet again. He seemed to be doing that quite a bit during this conversation. "There is something," Remus began slowly, weighing his words carefully. "A potion. It's called Wolfsbane potion. I was able to take it during the year I taught at Hogwarts, and it made a big difference. I wasn't a monster during those full moons. I was just -- me, in the body of a wolf. Unfortunately," Remus continued, noticing a light of hope dawning within Jeramiah's eyes, and regretting that he would be extinguishing that hope in a matter of seconds. "That potion costs money. As I said a few days ago, I don't have money. I can't get that potion now. I'm sorry, Jeramiah."

Remus winced slightly at the sight of Jeramiah's face, which had fallen visibly in a mixture of disappointment and dread. He could think of no further words of comfort, so he changed the subject.

"If -- If you've finished breakfast, I'll clean up." Remus's tone was quiet, defeated. "We should begin lessons soon."

It was late afternoon when the knock on the door sounded. Remus and Jeramiah had finished lessons for the day and were sprawled on the floor playing gobstones. At the sound at the door, Remus looked up, deposited his gobstones on the rug, and cautiously rose to answer the door.

"You really don't pay much attention to Ministry pamphlets, do you?" Nymphadora Tonks declared, as Remus closed the door behind her. Her hair tonight was far less conservative than it had been on her last visit, framing her face in sparkly neon green and electric blue spikes.She appeared to be holding something behind her back. "You're _supposed_ to ask me a security question, you know, to make sure I'm really Nymphadora Tonks and not a Death Eater."

Remus rolled his eyes. "A Death Eater wouldn't be caught dead near such a dodgy building."

"Fair enough," Tonks replied with a smirk. "Anyway, I brought a little something for you and Jeramiah." She pulled a large bottle out from behind her back with a flourish, dropping it in the process. Remus rescued the falling bottle just in time, then examined its contents with a growing sense of disbelief.

"Nymphadora!" Remus exclaimed when he had found his voice, "This isn't ... it can't be what I think it is... is it?"

"It's exactly what you think it is," Tonks informed Remus with a triumphant smile. "And _don't _call me Nymphadora. Anyway, I took a little detour after work today, and stoppedat the Apothecary. Lucky for me, they had enough Wolfsbane potion in stock for both of you."

At the word "Wolfsbane," Jeramiah's expression went from timid and wary to extremely alert and interested. "Wolfsbane?" he repeated.

Remus shook his head sadly as he placed the bottle of Wolfsbane on the beat up table nearby. "Yes, Jeramiah, Nymphadora Tonks here has brought us Wolfsbane. That was very generous of her. Unfortunately," Remus turned to Tonks and spoke pointedly, "She spent far too much money on us, and we can't possibly accept--"

"No, you can accept, and you will," Tonks interrupted." I have more than enough money to cover the Wolfsbane, and I _want _to help both of you."

"But --- ummm," Remus spluttered, flustered by Tonks' unflinching gaze, and Jeramiah's pleading one, simultaneously trained upon him. "I don't know how long it will take for me to scrape together enough money to pay you back."

"Did I say I expected you to pay me back?" Tonks fired back defiantly. "As I said before, I_ can afford this. _If you must know, I'm doing this for myself as much as you. I don't want to be lying awake on the night of the full moon, worrying about you and Jeramiah. I happen to have a very long day ahead of me the next day, and as you well know, in my line of work, operating on no sleep is dangerous. If you, stubborn git that you are, won't do this for yourself, do it for me. Do it for Jeramiah, as well. You know better than I do what he will be facing in a week if he isn't given Wolfsbane."

Remus sighed, and lowered his head. There was nothing he could follow her tirade with that wouldn't sound exceedingly unreasonable, and slightly cruel. He knew, in that moment that Tonks had won the argument.

"I'll pay you back as soon as I can," Remus muttered, making a big show of looking for goblets in order to avoid both Tonks and Jeramiah's eyes.

"There's no need." Remus heard Tonks' reply at the same time he heard her footsteps pounding behind him. In the next moment, she had determinedly placed herself in front of him, in his immediate line of vision. "However, I know how proud you are, so I'll allow that, and simply assure you that there's no rush."

Remus could think of no snappy reply to that, so he settled for a quiet, "Thank you."

Holding a goblet in each hand, Remus made his way back to Jeramiah, who wore an expression of relief. "This is probably a good time for the first dose." Remus picked up the bottle and began filling the goblets. "You may want to brace yourself for the taste, Jeramiah. I assure you, this tastes nothing like hot cocoa..."

A/N: To the few of you who are actually reading this, I promise that Harry will be making an appearance in the next chapter. I also promise that I will eventually explain why Remus is able to charm the cages to render them immune to werewolf assault when he was unable to do the same for the furniture in the shrieking shack during his Hogwarts days.

I hope you've all enjoyed this installment of "The Werewolf Child."


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I claim ownership of nothing.

The next day, Remus apparated to Godric's Hollow. Tonks had agreed to watch Jeramiah for a few hours. As he walked toward the graveyard, Remus shook his head sadly. Jeramiah had begged to accompany Remus in visiting Harry. Remus had refused, knowing that Harry had agreed to meet with Remus on the condition that they would be alone. He knew Harry well enough to understand that he would not be pleased by the unexpected presence of a child who would most likely be fawning over him.

All the same, Remus couldn't shake off the image of the disappointment in Jeramiah's eyes when he was told that he could not come with him to meet Harry Potter. He would have to try and convince Harry to meet with Jeramiah some time after the upcoming full moon. Remus knew it would mean quite a bit to a child who, in the best of circumstances, was facing a future riddled with pain and hardship. Hopefully, Harry would understand that.

Reaching the graveyard, Remus began walking among the headstones. There was no need to look where he was going, as he had memorized the location of those specific headstones he now sought, years ago. Within seconds, he had reached the graves of James and Lily Potter.

Leaning against the headstone of his former fellow Marauder, Remus sighed. He was acutely aware of the presence of Lily and James waiting for Harry alongside him. He didn't dare to look anywhere other than straight ahead, knowing that if he did he would be forced to give up the illusion that James and Lily were seated on either side of him in companionable silence. He wanted to believe that, if he were to look to the side, he would see a pair of mischievous hazel eyes, or warm, supportive green, gazing at him in tacit assurance that he was not alone, that there would always be others out there who understood him and loved him unconditionally. Remus needed to believe that and could scarcely stomach the idea of looking to either side, the emptiness around him serving as indisputable evidence to the contrary. As long as he kept his gaze trained firmly ahead of him, he could briefly convince himself that the last sixteen years hadn't happened, that he was still that optimistic young man who believed with every fiber of his being that he could blast any obstacle out of his path and take his place in the world, just as long as he had his friends by his side.

Remus allowed another sigh to escape him, this one tinged with an unremitting sadness. He couldn't allow his thoughts to continue in this direction, not if he didn't want to soon be as thoroughly distraught as one surrounded on all sides by dementors. He needed to pull himself together before Harry arrived.

Remus racked his brain for some distraction, and came upon the small bottle in the pocket of his robes. This was a good time for his next dose of Wolfsbane. Remus unscrewed the lid, raised the bottle to his lips and allowed the foul potion to waft over his tastebuds. To Remus's mind, grieving over happy years that had been brought to an abrupt and tragic end on that awful Halloween night in 1981, the distinctly bitter taste of the potion was a welcome distraction. Remus smiled slightly to himself, remembering Jeramiah's reaction to his first dose of potion the previous afternoon. Unsurprisingly, when the pungent potion had first hit his tongue, Jeramiah had gagged, just as Remus had when he'd first tasted the potion a few years earlier. However, after a moment, Jeramiah had arranged his face into an expression of grim determination, pinched his nose, and swallowed the remainder of the potion in one gulp. Jeramiah was an uncommonly brave child for his age. He would make a good Gryffindor, if he ever had the opportunity to attend Hogwarts, Remus thought sadly.

At that moment, Remus was abruptly brought back to reality by the sound of movement nearby. He looked up. Harry had arrived, and was carefully studying the names on the various headstones.

"Over here," Remus called out, realizing that Harry might not share his familiarity with the layout of the graveyard.

Within seconds, Harry had come running over. "Hello, Prof -- I mean Remus." Harry sounded distinctly tense. "How are you?"

"As well as can be expected," Remus replied, shaking the young man's hand. "Is this your first time visiting the graveyard?"

Harry blushed. "Yes -- it is actually. I've been meaning to come here since the night I arrived at Godric's Hollow with Ron and Hermione, but I kept finding excuses not to."

Remus smiled sadly. "I understand. Visiting a graveyard is never very pleasant, especially when one's dead parents are buried there."

The two sat in silence for several minutes, listening to the song of crickets in the distance, before Harry spoke. "I'm glad that I can be here with -- someone who knew my parents. I didn't want to come here alone, but I didn't want to come here with Ron and Hermione either. This is just one of those things I needed to do without them."

This statement was followed by another lengthy silence. Remus wasn't sure how to respond to Harry's statement, so he steered the conversation to more mundane matters.

"How were the three of you able to travel here?" Remus asked.

"We apparated. Ron and I got our licenses at the beginning of the summer. The Ministry granted me written permission to perform magic, even though I'm still underage until the end of this month. I was allowed to take the test early. It's just one of those perks of being the famous Harry Potter." Harry spoke these last words with a slightly twisted smile.

"I'm sure it will come in useful." Remus remarked wryly.

"Oh, it will." Harry's smile widened slightly. "I feel slightly guilty, taking advantage of my --- errrrm--- celebrity this way, but I figure the Ministry owes me after the way they treated me all those months. I don't feel too guilty. Besides, like you said, it's useful."

Remus's mind traveled back to a letter Dumbledore had left him to read in the event of his death, which included a topic he needed to broach with Harry. He cleared his throat. "Harry, have you started looking for the remaining horcruxes yet?"

There was a faint clattering noise as Harry's wand fell to the ground. Harry stared at Remus, his mouth moving soundlessly.

_ Right. He wouldn't know that I know about that. _

_ "_You see, Dumbledore left me a letter." Remus explained as Harry bent down to retreive his wand. "He thought you ought to have a senior member of the Order help you out with this in the event that -- that he was no longer able to."

Harry gulped, his Adam's apple moving visibly in his throat. He turned away momentarily, then turned back, opening and closing his mouth, appearing to be at a loss for words.

"I understand this is a journey you need to take on your own," Remus began, watching Harry intently. "Dumbledore made that quite clear in his letter. I just want you to know, that if you ever need any advice, I'm just an owl away."

"Thank you," Harry replied shortly, then turned away again. It was apparent to Remus that he was not the only one who found it difficult to let others into his life. If Remus was going to get Harry talking, it would take some effort.

"So, what have you been doing lately?" Remus asked cautiously.

Harry shrugged, "Nothing too exciting. Mainly just research. I've been -- well actually Hermione's been reading up on the history of the Founders, and then she tells Ron and me what she's learned. Then we all sit and talk about what it might mean."

Remus smiled. It seemed only too appropriate that Hermione would be the one in charge of doing all the research for the mission. She hadn't changed much since the year he had taught her, when she'd consulted the lunar chart to solve the mystery of his periodic illnesses. It was mildly comforting to know that, in the midst of all this war and unrest, some things stayed the same.

"Any leads?" Remus asked, then immediately worried that the question had been too forward. "You don't have to answer that if you don't want to," he added quickly.

"That's okay, I'll answer. If you were in with Dumbledore, you're in with me." Harry assured Remus.

In spite of Remus's lifelong battle to remain constantly stoic, he felt chills run down his spine when Harry stated his faith in him. He only hoped that he would prove worthy of the trust Harry seemed to be putting in him.

Remus was unable to mull this over for long, as he quickly realized that Harry was still talking. Remus quickly refocused his attention. If he hoped to be worthy of the young man's trust, the least he could do was listen to what he had to say.

"... nothing that will really help us very much." Harry was saying. "Rowena Ravenclaw was a very private person, it seems. We're pretty sure he has something of hers, since none of Gryffindor's relics seem to fit what we're looking for, but we really can't find much information on her."

"I might be able to help you." Remus replied. Harry looked up in surprise. "Mad-Eye Moody gave me a Secrecy Sensor charmed specifically to recognize objects infused with Dark Magic. Horcruxes are just about the Darkest objects known to Wizardkind -- the Secrecy Sensor would most likely pick up on one of those from miles away. I will be more than happy to give the Secrecy Sensor to you. After all, you need it far more than I do."

"I don't know if -- I can't possibly--" Harry stammered.

"No, I want you to have it," Remus gently interjected. "If you're burdened with the responsibility of saving the wizarding world from Voldemort, as Dumbledore indicated in his letter, the least I can do is make sure you're adequately armed."

"I really appreciate your help, Prof -- I mean Remus. It's going to take a while to get used to calling you that," Harry remarked with a nervous laugh.

"That's all right," Remus replied. "Don't waste energy worrying over that, you've got more than enough to worry about already."

"That's very true." Harry's laugh was tinged with a slight bitterness.

"After the next full moon, I'll contact you, and we'll arrange another meeting," Remus told Harry. "I'll bring the Secrecy Sensor to you then. By the way, while we're on the subject of our next meeting, I should mention that Jeramiah wants to meet you. I'll talk to him ahead of time so he doesn't fawn over you too much," Remus added quickly, as Harry's eyebrows rose in mild trepidation. "The boy has a difficult life ahead, and meeting with you would mean a great deal to him."

"Sure, that's fine," Harry replied quickly. "With all you're doing to help me, it's the least I can do."

"Jeramiah is a really pleasant child to be around," Remus assured Harry. "You may very well enjoy the experience."

"I'm not worried," Harry remarked. "I have far more difficult tasks ahead of me."

"I know you do," Remus nodded somberly. "So, how are you doing with --- everything that's happened?"

Harry and Remus talked for a while longer, discussing Dumbledore, Voldemort and the war that threatened to tear the wizarding world apart. Eventually, Remus checked his watch and stood, saying his farewell with assurances that he'd tell him some stories of his father from their school days the next time they met.

Harry shook Remus's hand, then turned and walked away. Remus remained leaning against James' grave for a moment longer watching Harry disappear into the distance. The meeting had been emotionally draining, and Remus was exhausted. However, through the fog of his fatigue, Remus felt a vague sense of accomplishment, knowing that at least one of the walls he had built around himself so long ago was on its way to being beaten down.

Standing up, Remus prepared to return to Jeramiah.


End file.
